


When Best Friends Become Lovers (or try to)

by LottieWarwick



Category: Sarah Jane Adventures
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-26
Updated: 2015-03-25
Packaged: 2018-03-15 10:03:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3443117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LottieWarwick/pseuds/LottieWarwick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Luke has decided it's time to tell Clyde he loves him.<br/>Clyde has decided it's time to tell Luke he loves him.<br/>It should be perfectly simple. It isn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

So this was it. It was time. After all those weeks of rehearsal; all those years of dreams, Luke was finally going to do it.

He was going to tell Clyde how he felt about him.

It was a risk, of course. There was always a risk where love was involved. Love wasn’t scientific: it was impossible to predict the results. Even when two people seemed entirely suited in terms of interests and personality, that meant nothing if the spark wasn’t there. 

It was especially difficult when you didn’t actually know what the spark was. Luke had always felt plenty of sparks when he was with Clyde but he didn’t know if it was a mutual thing or if they all came from him. He’d tried asking K-9 once in a very oblique sort of way but then he’d got embarrassed and pretended he was talking about something else. He hadn’t liked to ask his mum or his friends because they were all Clyde’s friends too. He had a couple of friends at uni but they just weren’t the same as Clyde, Rani and Maria. It was difficult getting close to someone when there was so much you couldn’t tell them and Luke already knew from Clyde (and from his own observations) that guys did not discuss their feelings. 

Luke parked the car outside the house and breathed deeply a couple of times. He didn’t know why but the thought of facing Clyde now was even more terrifying than the thought of facing all the aliens they’d ever met simultaneously.

**  
“Just tell him!” Rani said impatiently. “It’s not difficult, Clyde. You just have to open your mouth and let the words come out… let’s face it, you usually have more trouble stopping yourself from talking!”

Luke was due back home from uni that day and in the absence of Sarah Jane (who’d gone to school to explain to Sky’s teacher that her daughter’s story about being a bomb was entirely the product of her fertile imagination and there was definitely no need to contact either the police or a child psychologist), Clyde and Rani were waiting in the Smiths’ house to welcome Luke home.

Clyde had been planning on giving Luke the normal sort of matey welcome he usually gave him but Rani, he’d soon realised, had other ideas.

“But I don’t talk about this sort of stuff,” Clyde said awkwardly. “Not to my best mate.”

Rani clicked her tongue. “Well, either you say it or you wait for Luke to say it and if you wait for Luke, it could be centuries. It’s your choice.”

Put like that, there was only one option. Clyde squared his shoulders and gave Rani his best sexy look.

“Try bicarbonate of soda,” Rani said. 

Clyde stared at her. “What? Lukey-boy gets turned on by bicarbonate of soda?” He gave Rani a suspicious look. “How do you know that anyway?”

“Oh sorry, I thought you were constipated,” Rani said. “You had that look on your face that my dad gets when he-”

Clyde lifted both hands, palms outwards. “Okay, there are some things about your dad I don’t need to know. Can we get back to talking about Luke?”

Rani gave an exaggerated gasp. “Wow, you don’t usually ask for permission to talk about your favourite subject.”

“Let’s just say I was desperate to change the subject, okay?” said Clyde. “So help me, Rani: what am I going to say to him? To Luke, not your dad. Though actually I do need to think of something to say to your dad about that homework I didn’t do but that can wait.”

“Tell him you were lovesick,” Rani said. “That should cover all the other bits of homework you haven’t done too.”

Clyde shook his head reprovingly. “Rani, stop saying funny stuff. That’s my job. I’m the cool one. Just tell me what to say to Luke. You must have some idea. You’ve had boyfriends. I haven’t.”

“Honestly, I’d just come straight out with it,” Rani said.

Clyde frowned. “Don’t you mean ‘come out’ without the word straight in the middle? Because I don’t think being straight really comes into it.”

Rani sighed. “You know what I mean. Just tell Luke you love him.”

“I love you, Luke…” Clyde thought for a moment and shook his head. “No. That’s not enough. It might be okay as a starting point but I think I should say a bit more than that.”

“Well, you could tell him you really missed him while he was at uni and you’ve hardly talked about anything else ever since he left.”

Clyde rejected that idea at once. “No way. If Luke loves me back, then he loves me for being cool.”

“Loving someone isn’t about being cool,” Rani said impatiently. “Being cool is about hiding the fact you’re really a poor, sad loser who’s madly in love with his best friend. Loving someone is about hiding nothing.”

“Can’t you even hide their birthday and Christmas presents from them?” said Clyde. “Or saving-the-universe anniversary presents, in Luke’s case?”

“Hiding presents is fine,” Rani said. “But don’t forget Valentine’s Day presents. Whatever you do, you must not forget Valentine’s Day.”

Clyde felt as though he should be taking notes. “When’s Valentine’s Day again?”

“14th February. Just under two months,” Rani said.

“Okay. Hide presents; don’t hide feelings,” Clyde said. “I’ve got that.”

“Just speak from your heart,” Rani said. “Say all the things you’ve always dreamed of saying to him. Say all the things you’ve dreamed of him saying to you.”

Clyde was surprised. “Do you think Luke would like it if I told him he was the coolest guy I’d ever met?”

“You’re right: that’s not a good idea,” Rani said. “It might come across as sarcasm. You don’t want to confuse him.”

Clyde bristled. “Luke knows what sarcasm is now. He’s not stupid, you know! And yes, I do know that’s the understatement of the century.”

“But love makes you stupid,” Rani said. “You can’t think sensibly and logically when you’ve got all those emotions whirling around inside you. All you can do is feel. Sarcasm in that situation would confuse a lot of people. Not just Luke.”

Clyde made another mental note. “Okay. No sarcasm. Straight from the heart. Only without the straight part. Don’t forget Valentine’s Day. Should I maybe mention Valentine’s Day when I’m speaking to him? Just so he knows I haven’t forgotten it? Or should I save that part for Valentine’s Day?”

“Save that part for Valentine’s Day,” Rani advised.

“But I still don’t know what I’m going to say,” Clyde whined. “I’m not used to doing uncool things like declaring my love for people. It’s not in my DNA.”

“Oh no: it’s definitely in your DNA,” Rani said. “Ask Luke if you don’t believe me. No. On second thoughts, don’t ask Luke. You don’t want to distract him with DNA. He’ll probably give you a three-hour lecture.”

Clyde smiled to himself. “Luke’s so cute when he… no, I did NOT say that.”

To her credit, Rani did manage not to laugh but the hand over her mouth didn’t quite conceal her smirk. “No. Of course you didn’t.”

“Definitely not,” Clyde agreed. “And if I did, I was under huge amounts of pressure.”

“Absolutely,” said Rani. “Clyde, I’m sure when the moment comes, you’ll know what to say. But if you’re worried, why don’t you practise? Go on. Pretend I’m Luke.”

Clyde looked at Rani assessingly. He could see that she was pretty and he could understand why all his mates seemed to fancy her but she really wasn’t his type.

“There’s no need to look quite so horrified!” Rani said. She unhooked a picture of Luke from the wall and held it in front of her face. “There. Now try.”

The photograph was a couple of years old but Clyde had loved Luke for a lot more than a couple of years. “I hope Luke doesn’t walk in and catch us.”

**  
Luke was actually just on the point of walking in. He’d managed to open and close the front door very quietly with the intention of sneaking up on Clyde and Rani (which would ideally involve embracing Clyde from behind, covering his eyes and asking him to guess who… it was a bit immature and unoriginal but anything that involved touching Clyde was a good thing in Luke’s book) but Clyde’s words made him pause.

He didn’t want Luke to catch him doing what?

“Just say it,” Rani said. “Tell me you love me.”

“I love you,” said Clyde. “I’ve loved you since forever. I know I always mess around and make jokes but I’m not joking this time. My feelings for you are genuine and real. Sharing the last few years with you has been just like the most amazing feeling I’ve ever had. Including the time I spend on my own under the blankets.”

Luke didn’t wait to hear anymore. His first thought was to get back into his car and drive all the way back to university but he knew he was much too upset to drive and it would be dangerous for himself (which he didn’t care so much about) and other road users (who didn’t deserve to suffer just because Clyde had broken Luke’s heart). 

Instead he tiptoed upstairs, went into his room (well, after he’d been in Sky’s room: he usually remembered now but these were exceptional circumstances), crawled into bed and felt his heart into smithereens.

He’d known all along of course. He knew Clyde loved Rani. Everybody knew that.

But now Luke couldn’t even hope.

**  
“How was that?” Clyde said hopefully.

Rani grimaced slightly.

“That bad?”

“There was some good material there but I think you should leave out the part about what you do on your own under the blankets,” Rani said. “I’m sure Luke does that too but it’s not something I’d want my boyfriend to tell me about.”

“Okay. I wasn’t sure about that part myself,” Clyde admitted. He groaned. “Why is it so hard, Rani?”

“No offence, Clyde, but I really hope you’re going to rephrase that.”

“Why? What for?”

Rani seemed reluctant to enlighten him. “Never mind. I know what you meant. I hope so anyway. The reason why it’s difficult is because love is difficult. It doesn’t matter if you’re the coolest guy in the world (not that I’m saying you are). It doesn’t matter if you don’t usually have any problems talking to guys. All that goes out of the window when you find the person you love. When love takes hold, you can’t think properly. All you can do is feel but the emotions related to love are so big; so all-consuming. It’s almost like they’re not your emotions anymore because you have no control over them. It’s as though an alien’s taken over your mind but at the same time you know they haven’t. All those feelings are yours and they’re big and real and you’ll feel like you’ll die if this person doesn’t love you back.”

“Yeah, that’s what it feels like,” Clyde said, surprised. “A bit, anyway. So how do you know all this, Rani? Who’s the lucky guy?”

Rani didn’t meet his eye. “There isn’t a lucky guy. It’s just something I learned from observation. It’s a very important skill for a journalist.”

“Right.” Clyde had to admit he’d never seen Sarah Jane fixing up lovelorn aliens but Rani was only a beginner so she probably had to write whatever rubbish she was asked to write. He opened his mouth to say so but he remembered just in time that referring to Rani as a beginner usually resulted in some form of physical violence.

Clyde wondered if this was how Luke felt. He knew it was unlikely Luke was in love with him but maybe he could relate to the feeling of being lost at sea: no longer certain of anything; not knowing whether he was looking forwards or backwards (at times when in Luke’s presence, Clyde couldn’t even tell if he was on his feet or his head); just feeling cast adrift from everything he thought he knew and plunged into a strange world where every movement, every word had a zillion different possible meanings; where the smallest sign could convey undying love, extreme hatred or everything in between; where everyone expected you to know all the basics of your situation but you just didn’t.

Yes, thought Clyde, that was probably how Luke felt all the time. 

“Okay, let’s try it again,” Rani said. “Leave out the part about underblanket activity like I said. Also it might be better not to use the word ‘genuine’. When a guy tells me he’s a ‘genuine guy’, it’s always a danger signal for me.”

“Luke had trouble with that,” Clyde remembered. “He thought that he wasn’t a genuine guy because he was activated instead of born. Luckily, he never actually told anyone he wasn’t a genuine guy because he wasn’t supposed to be telling anyone about the not-being-born thing but I spent a couple of years trying to explain that one.” Even now, Clyde didn’t think Luke had quite understood it – which in his opinion just proved the word genuine was deficient in some way because Luke was intelligent enough to understand anything that was worth understanding.

Rani held the picture over her face again. “Shut up about how wonderful Luke is and tell me how wonderful I am. Or rather how wonderful Luke is but with Luke as me. You know what I mean!”

“You’ll need to be a lot clearer than that if you want to be a journalist,” Clyde said and he couldn’t really blame Rani for hitting him over the head with the photo of Luke.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sky asks too many questions while Luke refuses to answer any.

“But why is writing about being a bomb a reason to call the police?” Sky was saying, not for the first time, as Sarah Jane opened the door. “I didn’t kill anyone. Chloe wrote about meeting Edward from Twilight and he turned her into a vampire and she drank lots of people’s blood and her mum didn’t have to come to school. And Joshua wrote about killing lots of aliens who hadn’t done anything except land on Earth. They could have been nice aliens for all he knew but he just assumed that because they were ugly they must be bad. They both got A*s. I don’t even know what grade I got because they won’t give it back to me.” Sky looked up at Sarah Jane. “Joshua’s story wasn’t even any good. It wasn’t realistic at all. Why did I get into trouble and not them?”

“I told you,” Sarah Jane said patiently. “Not all bombs are bad but bombs are a really sensitive subject and it’s better to avoid mentioning them.”

“But why isn’t drinking blood and killing aliens a sensitive subject?” asked Sky.

“I’ll tell you what. We’ll ask Luke about it later,” Sarah Jane said. Much later, when I’ve thought of an answer that will satisfy Sky. “We won’t ask him now because he’s only just got home for the holidays and we want to celebrate and hear all about what he’s been doing. But maybe tomorrow we could all sit down together and talk about bombs and vampires. How does that sound?”

Sky stuck out her lower lip and Sarah Jane feared a teenage strop was imminent but at that moment, Clyde and Rani appeared and they look so worried, Sky forgot her own grievances and asked: “Has something happened?”

“It’s Luke, Sarah Jane,” Clyde said awkwardly. “He hasn’t come home.”

“Yes, he has!” said Sky. “His car’s parked outside.”

Clyde and Rani exchanged a glance. “He hasn’t come in,” Rani said. 

“Do you think he’d got kidnapped by aliens?” Sky asked hopefully. She was actually very fond of Luke but she was also very fond of adventures and it didn’t seem to have occurred to her yet that one day, Sarah Jane might not be on the winning side.

“Something’s obviously happened,” Sarah Jane said, leading the way up to the attic. “But we’ll find out what it is and get him back. Mr Smith, I need you.”

“You look worried, Sarah Jane.”

“I am worried. Luke’s disappeared. He parked his car outside the house but he never reached home.”

There was a silence. “I don’t understand, Sarah Jane.”

Clyde sighed. “Not again! They’ve got to Mr Smith too.”

Sarah Jane’s voice trembled slightly as she asked: “Have you any idea about Luke’s whereabouts, Mr Smith? Any idea at all?” If Clyde was right, they probably couldn’t rely on what Mr Smith told them but at least it would be a starting point. It might give them some idea.

“Yes, Sarah Jane,” said Mr Smith. “Luke is in his bedroom.”

Sky laughed at Clyde and Rani. “He must have come in and you didn’t even hear him!” She spoke conspiratorially to Sarah Jane. “I bet they were too busy snogging.”

Sarah Jane was relieved there was no need to rescue Luke from alien predators but on the other hand, at least alien predators was something she could deal with. Teenage boys were a different matter. All she knew for sure that only something very serious would cause Luke to sneak into the house so quietly and go to bed without speaking to his best friends.

“Come on: let’s go and find him!” Sky said eagerly but Clyde and Rani, to Sarah Jane’s relief and gratitude, blocked her way.

Sarah Jane made her decision quickly. “Why don’t you all go downstairs? Sky, you can show Clyde and Rani the welcome home cake you made for Luke. I’ll go and see Luke. I think he must be ill or something and he won’t want all four of us in his room if he’s trying to rest. Go on: off you go.”

They obeyed her of course but Sarah Jane knew they’d want answers. She had an idea of what the truth was but if she was right, it wasn’t something she could tell Clyde, Rani or Sky. 

She waited until they were all downstairs; then she went to Luke’s room. She knocked on the door and then pushed it open. The room was dark. “Luke, are you there?” 

“Yes,” Luke said tremulously but his voice sounded stronger when he continued. “I don’t feel well, Mum. It’s nothing serious but I don’t feel up to seeing the others.”

Sarah Jane gave a sad smile. Luke had had to account for his bedridden state in some way but he’d been quick to assure her there was nothing serious. It was sweet of him. “Can I come in for a minute?”

“Okay,” Luke said and switched his bedside light on. Sarah Jane went inside. She decided Luke was probably telling the truth about not feeling well. He did look very pale apart from his red eyes.

“What’s wrong, Luke?” she asked gently.

“Just a headache.” Luke sniffed. “Er, and I think I’m getting a cold as well. But I’m fine, Mum,” he added quickly.

Sarah Jane stroked his hair. “I’m not going to ask you any more now, Luke. I can see you’ve got a headache so I’ll get you a paracetamol. And Sky made you a cake so I’ll bring you up a slice. You really should try to eat something. But I’ll make sure the others don’t disturb you.”

“Thanks,” Luke said with another sniff. Sarah Jane pretended not to see the tears filling his eyes. It hurt to leave him when he was so upset but she knew it was what he wanted. He wasn’t ready to talk yet. She kissed his cheek and went downstairs.

Rani and Sky were waiting with anxious faces. Clyde looked as though he wasn’t that bothered but Sarah Jane knew it was feigned. She didn’t doubt that Clyde was worried too. He cared about Luke. She just didn’t know how much.

“How is he?” Rani asked.

“He’s not very well,” Sarah Jane replied. She didn’t want to lie to her friends but it wasn’t really a lie. “He’s got quite a bad headache and a bit of a runny nose. I’m going to take him up some cake and painkillers but he’s not really up to visitors at the moment.”

“I thought Luke never got ill,” said Sky.

“He does sometimes,” Sarah Jane said gently but firmly. “Just not as often as most people.”

“Can I take him his cake?” Sky asked. Sky Smith was like her mum: she didn’t give up easily.

Sarah Jane gave her a hug. “I’ll tell you something about boys, Sky. When they’re ill – or when they think they’re ill because they often aren’t – they always want their mums.”

“Yeah, that’s true actually,” Clyde said.

Sarah Jane was grateful for his support but she couldn’t help wishing Clyde had been the one to ask to take Luke’s cake up. Then she decided it was a good thing he hadn’t. She didn’t know what she should have replied.

“Are you saying Luke isn’t actually ill?” Rani said. Like a good reporter, she was reading between the lines.

“Oh yes: Luke’s ill,” Sarah Jane said. “But perhaps he’ll be able to see you all tomorrow. I hope so.”

She really did.

**  
“Luke? Can I come in?” said Sky.

Luke stared into the blackness of his room and wondered how he could make her go away without hurting her feelings. It was horrible when someone rejected you, even when they thought they were doing it behind your back and had no idea you were there. He didn’t want Sky to have even the smallest idea of how it felt.

“I know you asked to be left alone,” Sky said, “but I’ve been talking to some of my friends who have big brothers and they all say they go into their brothers’ rooms all the time. Especially when they’re not supposed to. I really want to be normal, Luke.”

Luke could understand that. “Yeah. So do I.”

“So you won’t mind if I come in annoy you for a few minutes?” Sky said. “I might even be able to help.” She switched the light on and Luke dived back under the covers, to escape the brightness of the light as well as to hide the evidence of his tears. Sky sat on the edge of his bed and patted his head through the bedclothes. “Did you enjoy the cake?”

“Yeah, I did,” said Luke. He wasn’t sure if he had enjoyed it but he knew that was down to his current mental state rather than the cake. Besides this was one of the situations where it was not only acceptable but advisable to tell lies. “It was lovely, Sky. Thanks for making it for me.”

“You’re welcome,” Sky said politely. “So how are you?”

“Fine, thanks.”

“No: how are you really? I’m not interested in polite responses. I’m your sister.”

Luke smiled to himself as he remembered having similar problems. He still did at times but he thought he mostly had it sorted now. “I’m feeling a bit better now I’ve had a rest.”

Sky sounded unimpressed. “I don’t see how a rest could help. I do know what’s wrong, Luke.”

“Yeah. I’m ill,” Luke said. “And you’ll probably catch it if you come too close.”

“I don’t mind,” said Sky. “I haven’t had a proper human illness yet and I’d like to. It is difficult sometimes. My friends were all talking about gastric flu and how awful it was and I wished I’d had it too so I didn’t feel so left out.”

Luke laughed shakily. “I don’t think you would like it but you won’t be catching it from me.”

“No: you’re just upset because Rani broke your heart,” Sky said. “I do think she’s silly. Clyde is very nice but you’re a lot cleverer than he is.” She patted him again. “But don’t worry, Luke. Either you’ll get over Rani and meet someone even nicer and prettier and more on your intellectual level, or Rani will wake up one morning and wonder what she’s doing with Clyde when she could be with you.”

“Rani didn’t break my heart,” Luke said irritably. He didn’t know why the assumption annoyed him so much. “There’s nothing between me and Rani except friendship and that’s all I ever want there to be.”

“Oh, so it’s Clyde who’s broken your heart,” Sky said. “I didn’t think of that. But it doesn’t make any difference really. I can still give you the same advice. Either you’ll get over Clyde and meet someone even nicer and handsomer and more on your intellectual level, or Clyde will wake up one morning and wonder what he’s doing with Rani when he could be with you.”

Luke smiled despite himself. “It’s not that simple, you know.”

“I think it is,” Sky said. “It’s everyone else who makes it complicated. Can I give you a hug now?”

“What for?” Luke said, though he had to admit a hug sounded nice. Even if it wasn’t a hug from Clyde.

“Well, I’ve done the sisterly advice bit,” Sky said. “So now I’ve got to be sympathetic and give you a cuddle. I think that’s what I’m supposed to do. It was really an article about how to comfort your sister when she has a break-up but that’s not very different, is it?”

“Er…” Luke really wasn’t sure about that.

Sky continued earnestly: “I know you can’t treat everyone like that. When my biology teacher stopped wearing his wedding ring, I tried to be sympathetic to him and I got a detention for being impertinent. I didn’t mean to be but I thought maybe teachers were just too different from sisters for it to work properly. But brothers and sisters are both siblings, aren’t they?”

Luke couldn’t argue with that.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rani decides Clyde needs to talk to Luke. Luke, meanwhile, has something to say to Clyde and Rani.

When Sarah Jane came to collect Luke’s plate, she was expecting to find him hiding under the blankets in the dark. But instead the bedside light was on and he was sitting up in bed reading a book about art.

Sarah Jane wasn’t quite sure if this was because of a certain friend of his who wanted to be an artist or if he’d just read all the books in the world about his usual interests already but she had a sneaking suspicion it was the first one. “How are you?”

“Much better now,” Luke said. He couldn’t suppress a sigh but he did manage to smile. “It’s nothing I haven’t been dealing with for my whole life. I just got my hopes up, that’s all.”

Sarah Jane sat on the edge of the bed. “Would you like to tell me about it?”

Luke considered. Sarah Jane could guess what he was thinking. Most guys didn’t tell their mums about their love lives but Luke was different from most guys and Sarah Jane knew she was different from most mums. “Some of my friends were having a sort of competition on facebook," Luke said at last. "About what the worst feeling in the world was.”

“And what did you decide?”

“At first I thought it was all a bit of a joke,” Luke said. “But then… then one of my friends wrote the worst feeling in the world was being in love with your best friend and not being able to tell them. And I thought they were talking about me and I was really happy because I like them too.”

“But now you think it was a joke after all?” said Sarah Jane.

“Oh no: it was definitely real,” Luke said. He looked away from Sarah Jane for a moment. “I just miscalculated who their best friend was, that’s all. When you’re away from someone for so long and you don’t see them every day, maybe you can’t be their best friend anymore.”

Sarah Jane was quite relieved. At least this was something she could answer. “Distance isn’t a barrier to friendship, Luke. Not real friendship. Whether it’s miles or light years. It doesn’t matter how far away they are or how long they’ll be apart. They’ll always be your friend.”

“But no more than that,” said Luke. He looked sad for a moment but his next words were brighter. “But that’s okay. I’m lucky to have a best friend. I don’t need to kiss him too.”

Sarah Jane smiled to herself: he seemed completely unaware of what he’d just said. She gave Luke a hug. “If you love him, Luke, then he’s the luckiest man in the world. And I hope one day he’ll realise that.”

**  
Clyde had been thinking about Luke all night (which admittedly wasn’t anything new) but the more he thought about it, the more he became convinced he was the cause of Luke’s illness.

“He must have heard me declaring my love for him,” Clyde said to Rani. “And it turned his delectable, smooth, unsullied stomach.”

“Or maybe he heard you declaring your love to me and didn’t realise I had a Luke picture on my head at the time,” said Rani. “So he retired to bed, heartbroken.”

Clyde shook his head morosely. “I suppose we’ll never know.”

“What are you talking about? Of course we’re going to know.” Rani dragged him to his feet. “You are going over there to see Luke right now.”

Clyde sat down again. “Are you sure about that?”

“Yes, Clyde, I am,” Rani said. “Because if you don’t come with me now, I’m going over there by myself to see Luke right now.” She folded her arms and waited, an expectant smile on her face.

“Oh yeah? And what are you going to talk to Luke about when you get there?” Clyde asked with none of the nonchalance he was aiming for.

“You won’t know until the next time you see Luke.”

**  
Luke was eating his breakfast when Clyde and Rani arrived. He told himself to stay calm and act normal but as soon as he saw Clyde, he not only forgot his limited knowledge of what normal was, he even became slightly hazy on the fourteen-trillionth digit of pi. Clyde was looking especially gorgeous today and Luke knew from the time it had taken him to get from the door to the kitchen that he’d stopped to check his appearance on the way.

But that meant nothing. Clyde _always_ did that.

“Luke! Good to see you back on your feet,” Clyde said. “Or back on your bum anyway.”

Luke choked on his cornflakes. He was fairly sure that Clyde had been aware of the existence of his bum ever since they’d met and he might even have mentioned it before as it was just another part of the human body and everybody had one but it was still Clyde and he’d still mentioned Luke’s bum.

Now Clyde was banging him on his back (which actually had sexual connotations if he’d remembered the slang term correctly) and now he’d spat partly-chewed cornflakes into his bowl and if he’d ever had the remotest chance of getting anywhere with Clyde, his chances must now be irrevocably over. Luke knew that everyone had a slightly different idea of what sexy meant (Luke’s idea of sexy had the alternative name of Clyde Langer) but he was fairly sure that partially-masticated cornflakes wouldn’t be one of Clyde’s top turn-ons.

“Are you okay?” Clyde asked. He looked concerned.

“Yes,” Luke replied untruthfully. It was almost certainly impossible to feel okay when you’d just completely embarrassed yourself in front of the guy you liked.

Rani handed him some kitchen roll. “Wipe your mouth, Luke. No-one’s going to want to kiss you looking like that.”

Luke hadn’t been expecting any kisses but he did as he was told. He decided that as soon as he got back to his room, he was going to have another go at working out how to travel backwards in time so he could erase this moment from history because otherwise, he might never be able to look Clyde in the face again and he’d always rather liked looking at Clyde’s face.

“Oh, I don’t know,” said Clyde. “It can be quite romantic sharing your food.”

“Remind me never to share food with you,” Rani muttered.

“Who says I was going to ask you?” Clyde asked lightly.

Luke cleared his throat. “Er… I just wanted to say…”

“Oh no! I left my phone at home,” said Rani. “I can’t live without my phone. Carry on talking. I’ll be right back.”

“No, Rani, wait: I wanted to…” Luke began.

The door slammed shut.

“What were you going to say to Rani?” asked Clyde. His voice sounded odd.

“It was to both of you really,” Luke said. “I just wanted to say congratulations.”

Clyde looked confused. “On what?”

“On being a couple,” Luke said as quickly as he could. “I hope you’re both very happy and I’m sure you will be and I’m not jealous at all.”

Clyde looked even more confused. “What are you talking about? I’m not with Rani. I never have been and I never will be. She’s not my type.” He sighed. “She’s all yours, mate. I just wish I could say I wasn’t jealous. You’re a better man than me. But I always knew that.”

Luke was confused. “But I don’t want Rani. And if you don’t want Rani and you’re jealous of us, then…”

“Worked it out at last, boy genius?” said Clyde. “I’m in love with my best friend. What kind of cliché is…” Something pressed against his mouth and he never got to the end of the sentence. “Luke… was that a kiss?”

Luke smiled. And blushed. And smiled some more. “Yes. Why? Did I do it wrong?”

“No, it was pretty good,” Clyde said. “Better than pretty good. But you know what they say. Practice makes even more perfect.”

Luke could have told him that it was impossible for anything to be better than perfection but he honestly had more important things to worry about. His kisses were quick and sweet and rather clumsy but Clyde seemed to like them. But then after the fifth or sixth kiss, he caught Luke’s face in his hands and skimmed his tongue across Luke’s lips, gently teasing them apart. Then his tongue was in Luke’s mouth and for a moment Luke was aware of it moving, touching his own tongue and then moving out of the way, only for Luke’s tongue to chase it without Luke’s brain telling it to. But after that he forgot about the anatomical side and lost himself in how it felt to be in Clyde’s arms at last.

“I love you,” Luke said once Clyde had freed up his mouth and moved onto his neck.

Clyde kissed his nose. “What a coincidence. I love me too.” He kissed Luke’s disappointed mouth. “But (and don’t _ever_ tell anyone I said this because you’re the only person in the world who’s allowed to see my soppy side) I think I might even love you more.”


End file.
